"Hello family!" Aaden said walking into his mothers kitchen about an hour later with Max and Kathleen.

"Aaden!" A slim little red head in cut off shorts and a red tank top ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. Kathleen stood next to him feeling awkward. He peeled the red head off of him and smiled over at Kathleen.

"Kathleen, this is my cousin Stacy. Stacy this is my fiance' Kathleen."

"Fiance?" Stacy demanded. She reached behind her and swatted a little kid that appeared to be about three away from her leg. "That must be why aunt Tammy has been whistling around here for the past hour like she knew something I didn't!" Stacy turned to Kathleen and then wrapped her in a hug just as fierce as the one she'd given to Aaden.

"Welcome to the family." Stacy said. Then she turned her head and glared at the three year old still attached to her leg.

"Where is your father?" she demanded.

"Watchin tv with papaw." he replied. On cue a man who was around six feet tall with a lean build, tan skin and green eyes walked in the kitchen.

"Leave your mama alone, Ty." he said, scooping the boy up in his arms. "Hey there Max how are you doing?" the man asked.

"Good. Are Kylie and Brooke in the living room?" Max asked. The man nodded and Max took off running toward the living room.

"And who is this beautiful woman?" the man asked looking over at Kathleen.

"Don't mind Evan." Stacy said slapping her husbands arm. "And, Evan, you might want to think twice before you hit on Aaden's fiancee'. He's a whole lot bigger than you."

"Congratulations you two!" Evan said with genuine surprise on his face. "I didn't even know you were seeing anybody." he said to Aaden. Aaden shrugged and smiled.

"Yea well it kinda happened suddenly." he replied. Evan smiled.

"Well at least now we don't have to worry that you're gay anymore. We were all starting to have our doubts when you passed the seven years single mark." he said with a wink. A gray haired woman wearing a long plain cotton flowered dress walked up behind Evan and slapped him on the head.

"Don't you say things like that about my grandchild! He a good boy not some skirt chasing scoundrel like you were when you met my Stacy!" she said. Kathleen couldn't help but laugh. The woman looked old and broken down but her voice was full of fire and spirit.

"Thank you mamaw! At least somebody in this family kept faith in me." Aaden said hugging the old woman.

"Mamaw, Evan this is Kathleen. Kathleen this is my cousin-in-law Evan and my mamaw Aubrey."

"Everybody just calls me mamaw though sweetheart."

"Nice to meet all of you." Kathleen said feeling some of her nerves dying down. Just then an outburst came from the living room.

"Look at the size of that bastard! He needs to put a bullet right there between his eyes!" an older man's voice said.

"No papaw that would ruin the mount." Kathleen recognized Max's voice. "Uncle Aaden told me you gotta shoot em right behind their shoulder."

"Mom, what's going on out there?" Aaden asked Tammy who was standing at the sink cutting up lettuce.

"Some kind of old hunting show on tv. Your damn daddy has watched it a hundred times but every time he hollers and yells like it's the first time he's ever seen it." she replied waving her hand.

"Come on Kathleen. I'll introduce you to my dad." Aaden said taking her by the hand and leading her to the living room. Kathleen could tell this man was Aaden's father the moment she saw him. He was tall just like Aaden though he was a good deal lankier. He had the same thick brown hair though his was streaked with gray and his blue eyes had the same laughter and good nature in them when he looked over at his son and Kathleen.

"You must be the woman I've been hearing so much about from the old woman. My names Keith" he said. Kathleen didn't know what to say.. She had never heard a man refer to his wife as old woman.

"My name's Kathleen." she said holding out her hand. He smiled and shook it.

"You did good, boy." He said to Aaden. Then he looked back at the TV. "Do you believe this bullshit! He missed. Twenty yard shot and the idiot missed!" Keith shouted, his attention back on the show.

"Probably the wind." Aaden said with a chuckle.

"Wind my ass! He's using a gosh damn 270 rifle with a scope. The man's an idiot."

"Is he going to be ok?" Kathleen whispered to Aaden as Keith went on another rant his face turning red as he pointed at the TV with ferocity. Aaden laughed.

"He'll be fine. You think this is bad you should see him when he watches Nascar, or football.That's entertainment." Kathleen laughed lightly and Aaden smiled proudly. She had been a nervous wreck for the past hour but finally he had made her relax enough to laugh.

Kathleen took time then to look at everyone in the room. There were two girls sitting next to Max on the small loveseat watching tv.. They were clearly twins and both had fiery red hair that was a mess of curls and freckles littered their faces.

"Well, Aaden, who's your lady friend?" A big booming voice said from behind them. Kathleen turned and nearly choked on her gasp of surprise. The man standing there was huge.. He was a few inches taller then even Aaden and he had to weigh close to four hundred pounds. His was bald except for a few gray strands of hair that he had styled into a comb over. His eyes were blue like Aaden's and he had a thick gray mustache and beard.

He was only wearing a pair of blue jean overalls, no shirt and a pair of muddy boots. He had a beer in his hand and judging by the way he was swaying on his feet Kathleen guessed it wasn't his first one of the day.

"Uncle Pete, this is my future wife Kathleen." Aaden said. He gave Kathleen a nervous glance. His uncle Pete was a unique kind of person and he just hoped Kathleen didn't run from the room screaming. He was relieved when Kathleen gave a warm smile to his uncle and held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you." she said. Pete looked at her outstretched hand for several seconds and then shook his hand.

"We don't shake hands in this family. We're just a bunch of ol' rednecks." he said. Kathleen lowered her hand down and bit her lip. She hadn't met to offend anyone. She looked up at Aaden who was shaking his head.

"Uncle Pete, don't…" he said but Pete cut Aaden off by stepping forward and wrapping his arms tight around Kathleen pulling her feet up off the floor.

"Round here we give good ol' fashioned hugs when we welcome pretty women into the family." Pete said as he squeezed Kathleen so tightly she thought for sure he may crack her ribs.

"For goodness sakes, Pete, put the poor girl down. Suppers ready." Tammy said poking her head into the room. Pete put her down then and patted her on the head.

"Nice girl, Aaden." he said with a wink then he turned and walked into the kitchen. The rest of the family followed and Kathleen looked up at Aaden.

"So that's uncle Pete?" she asked smoothing out her shirt. Aaden chuckled and ran his hand over the back of his neck.

"Yep." he replied. She smiled.

"I don't think that was his first beer today." she said. Aaden shook his head.

"Nope…. Everybody likes to say uncle Pete was born with a beer in his hand. Or maybe a jug of moonshine. He's a good guy though. He'd do anything for ya if you needed help."

"He seemed like a nice guy. Just remind me to never make him mad because he is one big man." she replied. Aaden laughed and wrapped his arm around her.

"I told you they'd like you. Now lets go eat." he led her to the kitchen.

After dinner was over the men and kids wandered off into the yard to teach Max how to shoot his new rifle. Mamaw, Tammy, Stacy and Kathleen were sitting on the porch watching them. It was dark but they had lanterns set up for light and the porch light was bright.

"So, Kathleen, dear, Tammy tells me that you weren't raised around here." Mamaw said while rocking in the chair and crocheting. Kathleen shook her head.

"No I was raised just outside of Lexington but I never really was allowed out of the house. I was home schooled with tutors and things." Kathleen replied. She laughed lightly when Max shot the rifle and it nearly knocked his tiny frame to the ground.

"Tough way for a kid to be brought up." Mamaw said. "Kids is supposed to be able to run and laugh."

"I was ok. I always had everything I needed so it could have been much worse."

"Tammy also tells me you were married once before." Mamaw said.

"Mom!" Tammy exclaimed. "You're not supposed to just come on out and ask things like that… You're supposed to work your way around to it."

"Shew child I'm too old for working my round to something. I'm at that age where I got death staring me in the face every minute.. I might as well just say what I want to say and ask what I want to ask." Mamaw replied. Kathleen liked Mamaw. She had never known any of her own grandparents but knew there was no way they would have been like her. She was tough and straightforward but Kathleen knew she must have a heart of gold because this family clearly loved and respected her.

"Yes I was married before I met Aaden. I was married to him for nine years but it was a very bad marriage." Kathleen said.

"Nine years is a long time to put up with a bad marriage." Stacy said matter-of-factly while she rocked Ty in the porch swing. His red curls were falling over his face as he lay his head sleepily on her chest.

"Yea too long." Mamaw agreed. Kathleen nodded.

"I was young when I married him. Nineteen but I felt much younger.. I didn't have any life experience to speak of. I'd been kept locked up in that mansion my whole life. I thought at the time that I loved him and I guess he found me easy to control. There was abuse and there were affairs and it took me nine years, but finally at twenty-eight I was a grown woman and I was freaking tired of it. I caught him in bed with his 'friend' from work and I left and I never went back."

"Good for you child. I tell ya I was married to my Henry for 60 years before he passed away a year ago and that man never did raise a hand to me. I may have raised a hand to him a few times but only when he deserved it.." Mamaw said with a chuckle. Kathleen smiled.

"Maybe I'll get it right this time." she said more to herself then anyone else as Aaden looked back at her from down in the yard and smiled that charming smile of his.

"I think you two will be just fine. I've been around for a lot a years and seen a lot a things so I know a thing or two." Mamaw said matter of factly. Just then Aaden came jogging up to the porch and grabbed Kathleen's hands pulling her up off the porch steps. He wrapped his arms tight around her and led her down into the yard.

"I'm not complaining because I like it when you hold me but what exactly are we doing?" she asked. He grinned.

"I want to see you shoot this thing." Aaden said taking the gun from Max. Kathleen eyes widened.

"No I don't think so… I've never even held a gun before."

"Well then I do believe it's time we redneck ya up a little." Pete said taking a swig of clear liquid from a jar. Kathleen didn't think it was water.

"I'll just watch you." Kathleen started but Aaden shook his head. He handed her the gun and then stepped behind her and pressed his body against hers holding his arms and hands over hers just as he'd done when they were on the golf course.

"Woohoo! Hey Evan, I'll come on down there and shoot if you promise to hold me like that!" Stacy hollered from the porch. Kathleen felt her face redden she looked up at Aaden but if he had heard Stacy's teasing it didn't show. His eyes were intense as they looked down at her. Over the past week she had learned very well what it meant when his eyes got that look and she felt herself shiver with delight.

"Hey there boy we're shooting guns out here not romancing pretty women." Pete said with a grin. Evan laughed and nudged Keith with his elbow.

"There's always time for romancing pretty women, ain't there." he said. Keith raised a brow when he looked over at him.

"You better remember that you're married to my niece boy. That better be the only damn pretty woman that you're romancing." Evan's face turned red and he wrapped his arms around his twin daughters.

"Of course she is.. I was only kidding." he replied. The serious look on Keith's face was gone as he laughed loudly.

"So was I." he said through his laughter. "It's just too much fun to mess with ya."

Aaden put his mouth to Kathleen's ear.

"Are you ready?" he asked. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. Her hands were shaking and she was scared to death. She had never even held a gun in her hands before and she'd certainly never actually fired one.

"You can do it!" Max said matter-of-factly. Aaden nodded against her hair.

"Yea you can. I'll help you. Pick out a can you want to aim at." he said. She looked at the assortment of cans lined up on the fence.

"That beer can in the middle there" she said. She felt his arms guide hers.

"Now sight down the gun and get it lined up." Aaden said. She did as he told her though she could feel his arms helping to move hers into place and aim the gun.

"Now take a deep breath, quit shaking and when you're ready squeeze the trigger." Kathleen took a breath and squeezed. The noise of the gun nearly deafened her and she felt the recoil against her shoulder though it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

As the ringing in her ears began to die down she realized that everyone was clapping and congratulating her. She looked down at the fence and realized the beer can was no longer there.

"See I told you that you could do it." Max said smiling proudly. Aaden moved away from her leaving her standing there with the gun in her hands.

"Let's see the woman hit it without your help Aaden.  A redneck woman don't need no help from a man." Tammy yelled from the porch. Kathleen felt a moment of panic as she looked at Aaden but he smiled proudly at her.

"You can do it." he assured her.

"And if you miss we got plenty of extra shells." Pete added just before letting out a loud burp.

Kathleen knew she needed to do this to make a good impression on Aaden's family. She turned back to the targets and raised the gun to her shoulder.

"Make sure you hold it tight." Aaden reminded her. "If you don't hold it tight to your shoulder it will kick you harder."

"Yea and knock you on your butt." Max agreed rubbing his shoulder. Kathleen couldn't help but laugh. She picked out a Pepsi can to aim at and sighted down the barrel. Her hands were shaking but she took a deep breath to still them. She had the gun lined up and squeezed the trigger. This time the sound and the recoil didn't shock her like they had at first and she was able to keep her eyes open and on her target.

She shouted with pride and glee when she watched the can go flying off the fence.

"I did it! I actually did it!" she said happily. Keith took the gun from her as she jumped around and did a little dance. Aaden laughed. He had never seen her so happy, relaxed and completely at ease.

"I think she suckered us." Pete said matter-of-factly. "That girl's a crack shot."

"Evan, I think it's time we need to be getting home." Stacy called from the porch. Kathleen looked toward her and saw her standing there with a sound asleep Ty in her arms. Evan nodded.

"We'll be going then." he said. "Nice meeting you, Kathleen." Kathleen nodded.

"Nice meeting you too." she replied. The twins hugged everyone goodbye and then they all climbed into Evan's jeep and drove away.

"We'll be going too." Aaden said as he saw Max yawn. They said their goodbyes to everyone and then drove back to the house.

Kathleen sat down on the couch while Aaden took Max back to a spare room and tucked him into bed. Aaden came to the living room door and motioned for her.

"He says he wants Aunt Kathleen to hug him goodnight." he said. Kathleen smiled happily and jumped from the couch. She walked in Max's room and up to his bed.

"Hey there, Max." she said suddenly feeling awkward. She had never tucked a kid into bed before.

"Hi." he replied. His face was red and she realized he was embarrassed. Kathleen saw him rub his shoulder.

"Did that gun hurt you?" she asked. He shrugged and moved his hand away from his shoulder.

"Naw I'm tough like my uncle Aaden." he said matter-of-factly. Kathleen smiled.

"Yes you are. I'm not though. My shoulder is still sore." she said rubbing her own shoulder.

"That's ok. You're a girl. Girls aren't tough like boys." Max replied. Kathleen nodded in agreement.

"You're right about that." she said and then she faked a yawn.

"Are you tired?" Max asked. She nodded. "Will you be here in the morning?" he asked.

"Of course I will." she replied.

"Can we make pancakes for breakfast?" he asked. She smiled.

"I love pancakes." she said.

"Goodnight, aunt Kathleen." he said his voice sounding sleepier by the minute. Kathleen felt her heart swell with love for the tiny boy. She had never been anyone's aunt before and it surprised her just how special those words made her feel.

"Goodnight kiddo." she said. She gave him a small hug and then walked out of his room turning off the light and shutting the door behind her.

Aaden was waiting in the hallway. He smiled when he saw her and wrapped his arm around her as they walked back to the couch. He sat down and she curled up next to him and laid her head on his chest.

"He likes you." Aaden said as he turned the TV on and started flipping channels. Kathleen nodded.

"I like him." she replied. Aaden ran his free hand through her long blond hair while he flipped channels with the other.

"You'll make a good mom." he said. Kathleen felt her heart skip a beat.

"You want kids?" she asked. Aaden looked down at her nervously.

"Uh… well… do you?" he asked. Kathleen smiled happily up at him.

"I've always dreamed about being a mom." she replied. "But Tom didn't want them. He was always more worried about what he wanted.. He didn't want to have to concern himself with something as time consuming as a kid." Aaden snorted and shook his head.

"That sounds like something the short guy would say." he said. Then he smiled.

"I'm glad you want kids. Coz I've always wanted to be a dad.. Well not always but ever since my brother passed away and I started taking care of Max a lot.. It made me want to have some of my own."

"You'll be a good dad." she said wrapping her arms tighter around him. Aaden looked down at her and wondered how on earth he had gotten so lucky. This woman could have her pick of some of the richest men around and here she had settled on him.. A poor redneck from the holler who spent most days working on his old beat up truck, drank too much after a day at work and didn't own a single pair of socks that didn't have holes in them…. He looked at his socked feet propped on the coffee table and wiggled his big toe that was poking through a hole….

He didn't know what had made this beautiful woman fall in love with him but he just thanked God that she had.

"You do know how babies are made don't you?" Aaden asked running his finger down her arm. She smiled up at him.

"No." she said blinking innocently. "Do you?"

"Yep." he replied with a sly grin. She laid her hand on his cheek.

"Could you teach me?" she asked with the same innocent look in her eyes. Aaden growled and stood up lifting her up and cradling her in his arms.

"What are you doing?" she demanded with surprise as she wrapped her arms tight around his neck.

"Best place for me to teach you would be our bedroom." he replied as he carried her down the hall.

"I can honestly say I've never been carried to the bed before.. Tom would have laughed in my face if I had mentioned it." She said without thinking. Aaden stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at her. She could tell he was angry and she bit her lip while she looked into his blue eyes.

"You are perfect, Kathleen, and it pisses me off to know that someone made you feel like you weren't. Maybe that little midget ass didn't appreciate you but by God I'm a real man and you are everything I've been waiting for…." Kathleen cut off his angry rant by pressing her finger against his mouth.

"I'm sorry Aaden. I shouldn't have mentioned him." she said. He kissed her finger.

"I just wish you could see what I see when I look at you." he replied. Kathleen could not believe how much she loved this man whose arms she was safely wrapped in.

"Weren't you going to take me to bed and teach me something. Something about where babies come from?" she asked teasingly. He grinned.

"Could be a long lesson.. You feeling up to it?" he asked. She kissed his neck and smiled when she felt him tremble.

"Are you?" she asked. He chuckled and carried her the rest of the way to their bed.